This weekend we thought we might try something different for a change, so we, (Arthur, Michael K, Paul Nillesen, Andy, President Charlie & I) packed our gear aboard the Barry D at an ungodly hour for a Saturday morning and set sail for the wreck of the SS Birchgrove Park.
The ride to the dive site was a tad bumpy due to Andrew hitting every pot hole in sight. As per usual there was the continual volley of wit the minute we stepped from our cars. We encountered two other dive boats nearby this wreck today who suggested the viz was terrible! One dive boat even implied that they were going to head home instead!
We decided we would chance it, No point coming this far to not even have a look, so after throwing the spear and ball over the side we dropped Michael K and Charlie in to go down and secure the line to the wreck. A few minutes later and the white float popped up signalling us that it was OK to tie the boat off.
While we waited I think we all toyed with the thought of not diving if it was too cold or dark down there, some of us were, after all, only wearing wet suits! It wasn’t long and Michael K was climbing back up the ladder with a smile on his face, the conditions weren’t bad at all! I decided to take the plunge over the side first as I was planning a longer bottom time. And so I started to descend.
As Michael had warned us, the sea was like pea and ham soup and there was a fair old current to contend with, but down around the 30 metre mark I was delighted to find that the current had died off substantially and the visibility had opened up to a nice dark 8-10 metres. I can tell I’m diving with old hats when I notice that the anchor has landed and is tied to the exact same spot as the last three times I’ve been here.
Today I was pleased to not be suffering from narcosis as bad as the last few times I dived here, and hence I enjoyed the wreck a whole lot more. I can now say that I know what she looks like! She is a big boat lying on its port side in 50 metres. The bow is fairly well intact and very recognisable with its own swim through, winch gear and look out points. Its two or three masts are lying with cables still attached on the sand. The boiler and engine room is another swim through which brings you out to the gigantic propeller which sits out free of the sand.
The wetsuit guys spent a reasonable amount of time on the bottom with Andrew coming up to me before he left taking his reg out of his mouth to yell out “We’re goin!” I think they were a little cold 
(Love my dry suit)
I spent another few minutes on the bottom before untying the anchor and dragging it clear of the wreck to begin my ascent and deco obligations.
A belly full of jelly snakes and mandarins later and we had the boat emptied, fuelled and packed away and we were on our ways home or to Macca’s for “yoghurt” (lunch).
I think everyone had a great day today! Now to look forward to a small sausage and some bubbles on the Adelaide at next weekend’s club day!
No deeper than the bottom, Spiro
Birchgrove, Adelaide, Adelaide, Birchgrove…….